Community expectations versus corporate social responsibility practices in Ghana’s oil and gas sector

Abstract

The discovery of oil in Ghana initially raised hopes for development in oil and gas communities, driven by transnational companies’ (TNCs) corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Although previous research on CSR in the oil and gas sector has examined the community’s expectation of CSR, it has produced inconclusive results. As such, this study intends to contribute to this ongoing debate. In this quest, a multiple case study design was deployed to guide this study using a sample size of 94 participants who were selected using a purposive sampling technique. The study deployed interviews and observation to collect data while the data were analysed using thematic analysis. This study’s findings showed considerable optimism among communities regarding the transformative potential of CSR initiatives, with TNCs actively contributing to infrastructure development and livelihood opportunities. However, the results showed that some beneficiaries were discontent with the CSR interventions as they did not reflect their felt needs because of their limited participation. The policy recommendation is that there is a need for active stakeholders’ engagement in CSR decision-making to ensure that felt needs are met and to promote TNCs acceptance.

Keywords

• Oil and gas sector
• community expectations
• corporate social responsibility
• resource curse
• infrastructure
• Ghana